Mar 3

I congratulate Barbara Mikulski for her years of outstanding service to our Nation. Her retirement from public life is well earned, though I will miss her in the Senate. In word and deed, Senator Mikulski has been a real champion of the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security. Last summer, during the spike in migration of children on our southern border, Senator Mikulski asked to travel with me to south Texas. Though she was chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee then, she wanted no press or fanfare for her visit; she simply wanted to see the problem. While there, Barbara visited with the children, and also gave our men and women on the border a pat on the back for their heroic work.

Mar 2

The 60 Minutes report Sunday about Hurricane Sandy insurance claims is a matter of great concern to me and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. We share the views expressed by FEMA Deputy Associate Administrator Brad Kieserman during the program. Any allegation of fraud is highly troubling, and especially so when it involves Americans who have lost their homes in a natural disaster.

Feb 25

Cybersecurity is one of our critical homeland security priorities. We welcome the President’s announcement today on the creation of the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center (CTIIC). This center will ensure an integrated intelligence community view of cyber threats and ensure that intelligence information is shared with all U.S. agencies responsible for cybersecurity and network defense.

Feb 25

If by the end of the week the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not receive funding, the Department shuts down. A shutdown for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) means that most of our employees would still continue to come to work, without receiving a paycheck for that work until the shutdown ends.

Feb 24

Yesterday, Secretary Johnson was joined by leadership and employees from across the Department of Homeland Security to discuss the consequences of a permitting a DHS shutdown. “I am also honored to stand here today with the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security, many of whom you see behind me. These are men and women who reflect a much larger workforce that is responsible for keeping our homeland safe,” Secretary Johnson said.

Feb 24

Five years ago, President Obama signed into law an important piece of homeland security legislation designed to help protect our Nation against the threat of nuclear terrorism. The Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act (NFAA) assigned to the Department of Homeland Security key nuclear forensics responsibilities and authorized the National Technical Nuclear Forensics Center within DHS’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO).